1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system, and a technique relevant thereto.
2. Description of the Background Art
There have been systems (image forming systems or remote operation (remote control) systems) in each of which an image forming apparatus is remotely operated by an external terminal. In such a system, a remote operation screen is displayed on a display part of the external terminal, and an apparatus to be operated is remotely operated by using the remote operation screen. Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Gazette No. 2007-110617 (Patent Document 1), for example, discloses a technique in which a remote operation screen simulating a display screen on a display of an image forming apparatus is displayed on a display part of a port terminal (external terminal) connected to the image forming apparatus.
In each of many image forming apparatuses, a touch panel is provided in an operation panel thereof and an operation input is given to the touch panel by a user. Further, in some of the image forming apparatuses, besides the touch panel, a display part showing an apparatus status is further provided. For example, provided is a “data reception LED” indicating that print data from another computer (print instruction apparatus) is being received, or the like.
If the user knows that the data reception LED is lit up in the image forming apparatus, the user can respond to such a condition as circumstances demand. For example, the user who knows the lighting of the data reception LED can know that the print output made by another user will be performed, following the data reception, in the image forming apparatus prior to his (her) copy job. Therefore, considering that there is a good possibility that the start of his own copy job or the like will be delayed due to the antecedent print output, the user can perform his copy job by using another image forming apparatus.
In some cases, a user using such a remote operation system as discussed above remotely operates an image forming apparatus by using an external terminal in a place where the user cannot see the image forming apparatus itself.
In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 discussed above, however, only an image (simulated image) representing a display content on a touch panel of the image forming apparatus is displayed on the display part of the external terminal, and no information on the “data reception LED” or the like (information on a display part other than the touch panel) is displayed on the display part of the external terminal. Therefore, a user cannot know any information on the display part other than the touch panel and it is difficult for the user to take some measures such as performing a copy operation by using another image forming apparatus, or the like.